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- guardian.co.uk, Thursday August 28 2008 00.07 BST
- The Guardian, Thursday August 28 2008
American football has had fluctuating popularity in the UK but currently the sport is as popular as it has been since the initial television coverage of the mid 80s. So the latest Madden game - this is the 20th-anniversary edition of the official NFL game - should find a decent market over here. And luckily it deserves to. This is a decent upgrade on 08 with sharper graphics and more accessible gameplay. An initial "virtual test" gives you an indicator of your skill level and the game plays against you accordingly. In theory great, in practice not always noticeable. On the field the action is less dominated by interceptions and the running game feels a little more effective. A nifty backtrack feature allows you to review a failed play while the commentary and general presentation - historically bettered by 2k's old ESPN games - is finally bought up to scratch. NFL fans will lap this up, but Madden 09 deserves a wider audience.
